Heavy storms overnight and throughout the day today could bring 1 to 2 inches of rain to the area.

The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch Thursday afternoon that includes Douglas and Jefferson counties.

The watch is scheduled to continue throughout the day and expire at 1 a.m. Saturday.

Kris Craven, NWS meteorologist, said a slow-moving storm system should generate thunderstorms over northeast Kansas until late in the evening today or Saturday morning.

“It looks like the storms will start clearing out on Saturday,” Craven said. “Between now and then is our biggest threat for heavy rain.”

Douglas and Jefferson counties are ripe for flash flooding if the thunderstorms produce heavy rain because of soil that has been saturated from storms earlier this week and last.

There’s an 80 percent chance of rain today in Lawrence, with a high of 76 degrees.